Hello! I like spindly clematis, they look lovely. 
Julia x
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Today, I was able to do a bit of beekeeping and capture a cast swarm that had gathered on my Rosemary Russet. Fortunately, I had a hive awaiting spring, and sure enough I was able to give this new queen and her brood a readymade home. I just hope they stay. Will revisit the apiary tomorrow and check. I sat down on the grass surrounded by thousands of flying bees, and watched them doing their fanning dance around the skep. Not gardening as such but I had intended on doing a bit of gardening when I spotted the swarm.
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Hi beekeeper Rups always made sure Iād remembered to put feeder on swarm, over the years lost a couple of good swarms when nectar was scarce. The biggest swarm I ever took,Huge was so pleased Iād got it hived following morning went out to check gone! Forgot to put feeder onš© use to love the excitement of getting phone call about swarm ,like stroke ,every location different posing all sorts of problems great fun. Regret now getting rid of my bees and equipment but at time was in a low mood and couldnāt see with my restricted vision how Iād cope. Just seeing your swarm, Iām wonderingš¤? Yes Iāll see how things go, done a few things I thought I couldnāt. We must stay Positive and look on the bright side of Life. Keep buzzing along Welshman Pds
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After 18months still over doing it and crashing. Did Runner bean trench then put up poles, have always enjoyed getting them set firm and securely tied this week ranted and raved air turned āBlueā. Didnāt pace myself and didnāt make use of my best chum the egg-timer .Needed day to recover. Get so frustrated wacked over simple tasks. On the whole grateful for what I can do which a lot of you folk can only dream about. Greetings to all Pds
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@Pds Iām sure if you get the buzz again, you will resume beekeeping. I have found it ideal post stroke. My laggard and deliberate condition makes for a pleasant pace for me and the bees. When I prepare to go out to the apiary, don the bee suit, get the smoker going. I am off to bee planet. No one follows me or even dares waylay me with some trifle. Even, pressing tasks that may demand my attention are excused by all others and diverted or delayed, and it is if I am going to take one small step for mankind.
Hi Rups just read your post from few days back. Use to get very stressed when getting the garden I maintained in tip-top condition ready for opening to public. Going through my bees cured all illās and put me in a good place. Had one hive I didnāt need to use smoke never aggressive, loved um, not very productive but a joy to handle until they changed Queen without telling me ! Boy did I have a rude awakening.
Was in my 30ās when I started beekeeping, WBCās were cheap as chips then, then changed to Nationals. Had as many eight, honey sales kept us afloat. Loved extracting honey in those days had a big stainless electric that took 10 frames a spin. This afternoon planted out my runners, my climbing French are romping up poles and lettuce ready for cutting. Hope more folk take up your āWho areYou. Keep Buzzing along. Pds
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Come and visit me in Wales, letās talk. My friends french runners have not sprouted, heās seventy this year, A plot on my land. The bees have confused me, two split swarms, do I join them and let the Queen fight for the death? Please advise.
Hi Rups in my experience the queen on leaving hive lands then might then move on , the first wave to follow her land on the first site, her sent is still lingering the next wave find her hopefully not to far off. Yes unite. Could be casts with virgin queens but still unite and may the best princess win. The first swarm I took was on tarmac outside surgery, put my skep over up they went, felt chuffed as I had an audience. Then elderly voice says āare you taking those as well ?ā 6ā from me was larger clump in a privet hedge ! Got it out and successfully United. Opened a hive once could hear virgin queens pipping, saw 4 chasing each other round hive, crisisā so phoned leading light in beekeeping group. Shut um up and let sort it out ! Good luck hope all goes well. Would like to get away when sorted here. Have brother near Hereford due a visit so could jump from there. Will keep in touch Pds
Diolch. That settles it then @Pds, tomorrow, if they are still there, I will combine. Nothing beats learning from experience it comes to bees, and I have picked up all the best knowledge from fellow beekeepers as opposed to books. I have had such a few tiresomely active days, but managed to get some horehound in the ground yesterday. We had friends from Bristol stay, so I was in charge of cooking and keeping the chiminea stoked.
Hi Rups attended Jubilee B-B-Q , enjoyed myself found out where bronze axes were found very close to here. Interesting fellow a carpenter who does restoration work on HMS Victory. Also spoke of LiDAR maps ā¦ā¦. Of area showing minute differences in soil level from above that indicate ancient human activity. To view your land look up LiDAR maps ( Right move) and put your post code or is it ? OS map reference in. Havenāt checked if viewing LiDAR is possible since the mighty smitting and change in vision ? 
Pds
Diolch @Pds, have hit a brick wall here. Totally drained. Have been helping out with a painting group. Morning and night. Absolutely knackered but keen to view LiDAR. Have potted on ten liquorice plants and another five horehound. Am transplanting Aaronās Rod from about the place to more appropriate spots in the orchard. Natureās loo paper. The 
love it.
Hi gardeners all like you Rups hit a wall of my own making. Had been pottering along nicely when I assumed I could grub out a large shrub root, know I can swing an axe so mattock should be no problem so wrong! Splitting wood the axe hits resistance and passes on through, first swing of mattock 
felt like Iād hit concrete boy did I vibrate, being a bear of very little brain before stroke couldnāt afford to lose more of the old grey matter so what do I do repeat the process ouch ! Went back to pottering then lay down shattered, 18 months on and still learning. Some days my vision problems annoy me and gets me down pruning and tying- in which Iāve always enjoyed frustrating, but hey ho harvested 4 mini cucumbers from frame first courgette from large pot and good hearted little gem lettuce with more to come 
when I get my glasshouse next year Iāll bore the socks off you all. Pds
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Awww how lovely. We get hedgehogs occasionally. Sounds like yours are being very spoilt 
Lovely things, havenāt seen one around my parts for years now.
Hi @Loshy. Just keep a little eye on it as they are not supposed to be out during the day. We had one at the weekend but it shot off when approached. We took one to a rescue a few years back as it wouldnāt move- they thought it had been mauled by a ?cat, but sadly it died. I put dishes of water out when I see them and get very excited by hedgehog poo sightings - how sad is that? Julia x
Hi what a good photo of hedgehog , strawberries fine 
but lettuce leaves give to chickens or tortoises Fruit yes cat food yes but no dairy. Donāt think they eat leaves. Knew a bloke once who blamed moles for eating his daffodils think hogs like badgers and foxes eat anything they come across alive or dead but leave herbage for bunnies deer and voles
Gamekeepers didnāt like them because they thought they ate ground nesting birds eggs
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Hi JuliaH each to her own but to be honest I use to get excited when I saw hedgehog poo on the lawn of garden I maintained but an explosive in the badger population saw an almost eradication of hogs, would see the odd one round and about crossing roads and one night was surprised to see a badger pushing under a 5-bar gate carrying a hog. Stopped and badger dropped it, it was screaming put it in bag and drove into village to leave in friends garden he didnāt thank me cause it kept screaming until early hours. Chickens got back into lay after moving and given us two good loads of poo for compost heap. Housed in an Omlet made from rigid plastic and to muck out you just slide out tray magic no bending, chucksx3 have been wonderfull therapy, have no physical disability just vision and āthe headā.Love hogs, when working at Kew Gardens rescued a hog from of all places Hammersmith high street, took back to my bed sit to release in gardens in mornings, it showed its gratitude by offloading a flock of fleas in my living room.
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Morning @Pds. Hogs are definitely not creatures to get up close and personal with. The one we took to the rescue place had so many ticks on it and the car smelled terrible for quite a while after. Glad your chickens have settled in. The bunnies are still making their valuable contribution to the compost. Talking of wildlife we are lucky to live somewhere that red squirrels still exist but I havenāt seen one for a few years now. It does mean that the greys are very much seen as the enemy and we are encouraged to report sightings of both, in a move to control the greys. Pigeons are my nemesis at the moment, I have had to pull all my peas out because they have trashed them despite attempts at protection. Have replaced with some kohl rabi seedings which are currently residing under a chicken wire fortress. Carry on growing, Julia x
Hi JuliaH only seen a fleeting glance of a red on Isle of Wight. Had dormice at old place managed to photograph one on my bird feeder, kept my bird food in an old milk churn, left the lid askew and one got inside. Over the years have over wintered three successfully whose winter nests I had disturbed when gardening in winter. Nothing sofisticated, galvanised bucket filled with leaves selection of nibbles and slate over top. South Downs Warden read me the riot act when she found out and said I. must never do it again as I didnāt have license to handle them and must contact the experts if I found any more. Not as rare as they make out. Would be interested in any wildlife sightings. Pds
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